The camp offers a unique opportunity for top participants to continue into a year-long innovation and research track, collaborating with Virginia Tech faculty on active research projects.
The Virginia Tech - UPWARDS TechTrek High School Program is a two-week immersive summer camp designed for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students. Hosted by Virginia Tech's BRICCS Lab at the Potomac Yard campus in Alexandria, the program offers hands-on modules in core pillars of modern computing hardware and intelligent systems. Participants will engage with topics such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, Python programming, Internet of Things (IoT) platforms (micro:bit, Arduino, Raspberry Pi), electronic circuit design, digital design, FPGA-based hardware description languages, robotics, and drone technology. The curriculum combines short lecture modules with practical, project-based activities, allowing students to connect theoretical concepts with working hardware. The camp also includes field trips to leading technology and manufacturing employers, providing insights into potential career paths. Top participants may be invited to continue into a year-long innovation and research track, collaborating with Virginia Tech faculty and students on active research projects, fostering an early pipeline into the AI, semiconductor, and IoT workforce.
A typical day involves a combination of short lecture modules and hands-on projects, allowing students to connect theoretical concepts with working hardware.
This program is best for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students interested in electrical, computer, materials, or chemical engineering, and those looking for hands-on experience in AI, semiconductors, and IoT.
Virginia Tech's BRICCS Lab at the Potomac Yard campus, Alexandria, VA
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